SPIRITBlogWinterDear Reader,When introduced to the Way of Christ, indigenous cultures
around the world found ways to see the metaphor of Christ as logos, the Word as source of continuing
life, in the seasons of nature.I
particularly love the way that the Celts in the British Isles took their
beautiful understanding of the interconnectedness of all life cycles and
‘greened’ crosses with extraordinary interweaving motifs. These greened crosses
would have been immediately understood: death and new life are
inseparable.Christ became the ‘youth of
a thousand summers’ in Ireland and the old wizened Green Man in cathedral
carvings throughout northern Europe. This Christ-figure in many seasonal guises
provided a destination for the soul to reflect with depth on the great
mysteries of existence. The natural cycles of our planet still offer us important
ways to engage the wisdom of our spiritual traditions.The outer seasons are mirrored in our inner
life.And it is my experience that many
of us may prefer not to consider the winter seasons of our lives as crucial to
the souls journey. In their starkness – their nearly unbearable coldness – the
hardness of the ground of our hearts – winter times are the times when there is
something new to discover that will be worth it if we can stay present and pay
attention.Like the Magi following a
celestial sign, we can learn to walk these frozen times with wisdom and less
fear until new life is found.Author and spiritual teacher Parker Palmer offers a good
word for us regarding winter: “In the Upper Midwest, newcomers often receive a
classic piece of wintertime advice: “The winters will drive you crazy until you
learn to get out into them.” Here people spend good money on warm clothing so
that they can get outdoors and avoid the “cabin fever” that comes from huddling
fearfully by the fire during the hard-frozen months….Our inward winters take
many forms – failure, betrayal, depression and death. But every one of
them…yields to the same advice: “The winters will drive you crazy until you
learn to get out into them.” Until we enter boldly into the fears we most want
to avoid, those fears will dominate our lives.But when we walk directly into them – protected from frostbite by the
warm garb of friendship or inner discipline or spiritual guidance – we can
learn what they have to teach us.Then
we discover once again that the cycle of the seasons is trustworthy and
life-giving, even in the most dismaying season of all.” (Parker Palmer. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation)Glad You’re There,Rev.
Pressley

Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, 408 East Cayuga Street, Tampa FL 33603 PHONE:(813)239-1951